


Soothing Gestures

by IllegalCerebral



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Allergies, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Ice Powers, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:41:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23234164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllegalCerebral/pseuds/IllegalCerebral
Summary: While The Avengers may have got a shiny new compound in the move to upstate New York not everyone was happy about the move out of the city and the pollen problems the new base presented. Spring allergies are unknown on Asgard but Loki still wants to help.
Relationships: Loki/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24
Collections: Spring Time with Loki





	Soothing Gestures

**Author's Note:**

> Thea Waycaster is an OC created for a WIP set during the first Avengers movie. Since that's currently being rewritten I thought I would show her off in this story.
> 
> **I only post my work to AO3 and tumblr. If you find any of the stories below posted on other platforms they have been stolen and reposted without my permission**

“Where’s Waycaster?” Nat strode into the communal living area. “We have a training session. No way I’m letting her skip.” Loki paused in his book, eyes raised slightly. He was sequestered away in a reading nook but acutely aware of the spy and the Falcon on the other side of the room.

“Allergies are playing up I think,” said Sam. He was watching some kind of sports event on the television. “Don’t think she was a fan of moving the complex out of the city.”

“That’s no excuse,” scoffed Nat.

“Last I saw she was with Steve in the med bay but I’ll run the course with you.”

“Are you sure you can keep up?”

As they dissolved into a playful argument, Loki slipped away and teleported himself to the med bay where Thea was slouched miserably in a chair while Steve skimmed the shelves.

“We have some antihistamines here, “ he mused, “oh eye drops to soothe irritation too! That’s neat. You know when I was a kid we called seasonal allergies summer colds. I mean the asthma was worse anyway…and the recurring bronchitis…and-“

“Why were you even allowed out of the house?” Thea grumbled. Her voice sounded thick. Loki frowned, knocking on the door. When Thea turned his mouth fell open. Her eyes were swollen and red, brimming with tears and the skin around was puffy.

“What in the nine realms happened to you? Have you been poisoned?” Loki gasped, hurrying over.

“What? No. My hay fever is acting up. This wouldn’t have happened it we stayed in the tower you know.” Thea glanced sideways at Steve, a silent accusation etched into her face.

“Hey don’t look at me it was Tony’s killer robot, “ said Steve. He tossed her a packet of tablets. “Lie down with a cold damp cloth over your eyes. My Ma swore by it.”

“Nat’s going to kill me for skipping practice,” Thea whined, “I hate summer. Stupid pollen and flowers and junk.”

“That’s what this is?” Loki asked, horrified.

“I’ll deal with Nat,” smiled Steve, “you take care of yourself.” He gave a small wave as he left the pair of them. Loki was staring down at Thea; concern was etched into his face while she fumbled with the pill packet.

“Don’t they have allergies and stuff on Asgard?”

“No, absolutely not. I haven’t even heard of such things.” Loki tilted his head to study Thea, “Is this truly just a reaction your surroundings?”

“It’s not just anything,” Thea swallowed the pill and then grabbed some eye drops off the shelf, “I can’t breathe through my nose, my throat itches, my eyes itch and I can barely see. It sucks.”

“There must be something, some tincture or potion or-“

“Nope,” Thea blinked away the drops and shoved everything in her pockets with a sigh. “The antihistamines will help a little and I‘ll do what Steve said and get a cool cloth but it’s pretty much going to be this until September now.”

“Unacceptable,” Loki tutted, “I understand that Midgard doesn’t have the kind of knowledge or experience to completely erase disease but-“

“Please don’t be rude about my planet right now.”

“But surely something can be done?”

“It’s fine honestly,” Thea gave his arm a squeeze. “It’s just one of those things.”

* * *

A couple of days later Thea’s eyes were stinging less but they were still prickly and her sinuses were stuffed up and sore. Nat at least had allowed her to run the indoor assault course rather than training outside but to make up for missing practice she had to do the whole thing three times over. Now in addition to her allergies she was covered in bruises and every muscle protested as she limped back to her quarters.

“I have been working,” Loki was lounging on her sofa, a pile of old leather bound books on the coffee table before him.

“On?” Thea asked. She winced as she headed to her kitchen area and grabbed a juice from the fridge.

“Your ailment. I would need to do some experiments-“

“You are not performing magical experiments on me,” Thea said, “Nat has already tried to kill me this morning.”

“Then the other option is to perform some kind of enchantment on the landscape around the compound,” Thea frowned, “to render it inert. Or we could simply raze the place, reduce it to ash unless that would also aggravate your condition.”

“Tony would kill you,” Thea said, settling down next to him, “Then he’d kill me but thank you for trying. It’s just one of those things I guess.”

“I loathe inaction.”

“You loathe not being in control,” Thea smiled gently, “you’re not alone in that.”

“Has the Captain’s trick helped at all?” Loki asked turning to Thea. The concern was touching.

“Yeah a bit. The cloth doesn’t stay cold for long though.” Loki’s brow furrowed in thought, his eyes darting back and forth.

“Lie down.”

“What?”

“Your head. In my lap.” Thea’s eyebrows shot up. Loki wasn’t the most tactile of people and this seemed oddly intimate in the middle of the day with no build up. “Please?” Thea shrugged and laid down, her head in Loki’s lap, facing upwards. “Close your eyes.” She obeyed. It was kind of calming to just lie there and listen to the sound of breathing. Then she began to feel something, almost like a breeze around her eyes. The waft of cold air was soothing and the prickliness in her eyes began to subside.

“Is that ice magic?” Thea asked quietly. She felt Loki shift underneath her a little and for a moment she thought her question would go unanswered.

“Yes. Only a small amount.” Thea wondered if his skin had taken on the blue hue of a jotun and she resisted the urge to open her eyes. He still wasn’t comfortable with that part of himself and the fact he had used his magic, this specific type of magic that represented so much he wanted to distance himself from, as a way to soothe her discomfort was touching.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, “It feels really good.”

“It has its uses,” the words were careful, considered, “its very different from Asgardian magic both in form and practice.”

“So it feels different to use?”

“Yes. It’s feels more…elemental. Like it’s coming from something deep within the cosmos, something primordial.”

Thea shifted a little to get comfortable. The cold feeling was still there, pleasant and soothing and underneath her head Loki’s body felt warm.

“Sleepy,” Thea murmured, “keep talking, it’s nice.”

“About what?”

“Anything,” Thea smiled, “everything.”


End file.
